Summer brings warm weather, picnics with a lot of beer and/or hard alcohol and local or state police looking for drivers who have had just a little too much to drink. A DWI conviction is costly and could haunt you for many years to come, even if this is a first time offense. Vehicle insurance rates may triple. Minnesota charges more than $700 for driver’s license reinstatement, making it in your best interests to contact a Minneapolis DWI Attorney as soon as possible to resolve the situation.
Even a first time offense in Minnesota can have serious consequences. If your alcohol content is .20 or above, if you refuse testing, or have children under 16 in the vehicle, you will be charged with a gross misdemeanor. A skilled criminal defense attorney can at least argue your case down to a misdemeanor level, or possibly even get charges dropped under the proper circumstances.
Even with a blood alcohol level of .16 as a first-time offender in Minnesota, you can have your license plates taken away and face a one-year revocation of your driver’s license. You could also face having an ignition interlock device on your vehicle that prevent you from driving your vehicle if you have been drinking.
A skilled DWI defense attorney can possibly help you fight charges and prove your innocence or at least result in reduced charges from procedural error, lack of evidence and other factors.
First time offenses are serious. You can possibly face:
- One year in jail
- $3,000 in fines
- Fees for county surcharges and law library fees
- One year of driver’s license revocation
- Six years of probation
- Yearly probation fees
- Alcohol education class
Martin Law can help you fight these charges. Contact us to learn how we can help with first-time DWI offenses.